ThePrep: High-Protein 400-Calorie Meals

Protein does your body a lot of good. It builds healthy cells and repairs ones that are damaged, keeps your immune system in tip-top shape, and it helps you to feel fuller for longer after a meal. Combine that with 400-calorie dinners and you have yourself a week of healthy, satisfying dinners. These healthy high-protein dinners deliver at least 14 grams of protein at each meal and clock in right around 400 calories per serving, to help you feel your best all week long.

Your Meal Plan

I absolutely love quick-cooking chicken cutlet recipes like Tuesday's 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce. With this cutlet recipe, you can have a healthy high-protein dinner on the table in half the time it'd take to cook a thick chicken breast. This creamy, delicious dish gets served over steamed zucchini noodles, which helps up the veggie count of this easy meal. And while chicken may be the first thing you think of for a healthy protein source, there are so many other options!

Even recipes that seemingly don't contain one standout protein source (like meat, fish, tofu or beans) can end up being high in protein. For instance, the Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches delivers 14 grams of protein per serving—all the individual ingredients contribute to the overall protein content. To boost the protein in this meal even more, you could add a slice or two of turkey or ham to the grilled cheese. The rest of the delicious dinners in the line up—from Sunday's Spicy Noodles with Pork, Scallions & Bok Choy to Friday's 25-Minute Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas will keep you feeling satisfied all week long!

Sunday: Spicy Noodles with Pork, Scallions & Bok Choy

Monday: Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tuesday: 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce over steamed zucchini noodles

Wednesday: Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Thursday: Skillet Ravioli Lasagna

Friday: 25-Minute Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas

Get the Printable Shopping List Here!

Big Batch Snack

When it comes to the Super Bowl, I'm really only participating for the snacks and the halftime show. A favorite game-day snack of mine are these Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. They have all the delicious flavors I love for game day but add a serving of veggies into the mix—something I typically never get when there's also nachos and buffalo chicken dip on the table.

Get the Recipe: Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Treat Yourself

Before we know it, we'll be craving lighter, spring-y drinks, so I'm savoring the parts of winter I love, like this oh-so-cozy Bourbon Hot Cocoa. It's just the thing to satisfy my sweet tooth as I wind down at night—and it's outright delicious. Cheers!

Get the Recipe: Bourbon Hot Cocoa

Let me know if you make any of these recipes or what else you're doing to prep ahead for a healthy week! Email me at ThePrep@eatingwell.com. If you have a question or requests for future newsletter topics, I'd love to hear those too.